New Ulm weekly review., 1887-08-17
THE LATE BEN HOLLADAY.

Incidents of Early Stage Coach Days
In Colorado.
There is much that is remarkable in
Ben Holladay's history, sayssa Denver
paper, and a great deal that is of inter-
est to Coloradoans. as Mr.. Holladay is
the man who brought the first stage
coach to Denver and occupied very
much the some rank in the early days
that railroad presidents occupy now.
Ben Holladay was bluff old fellow,
very hearty with his friends and very
blunt with those not fortunate enough
to have secured his good will. lie had
many Of the eccentricities which seem
to be natural with rich men whose
careers have sprung from small begin
nings He could be very arbitrary with
bis employees if the fit seized him, and
again he could requite favor in a
generous, whole souled fashion which
made him a lion among these by whom
he was reared. He was one Of those
men who seem to take a grim delight
in surprising people and who do the
most unexpected things at the most un-
expected moments. He was often
afable and occasionally he was bearish,
just as all men are who are as heavily
burdened with business cares as he
was.
Like most Of his class, he was a bold
speculator, and would take almost any
risk where he thought there was a
chance of making anything Alto
gether. those who knew Mr.. Holladay
in Denver in the early days remem Der
him as kindly, eccentric man, fond of
a joke, and always willing to help along
any worthy public scheme.
1t is concluded, however, by those
who knew him best, although there
was much that was remarkable in Ben
Holladay's history. there was little that
was in itself remarkable about the man.
The greatness in which riches envelop
a man was rather thrust upon him than
otherwise. He began his career in a
most propltlous time for men to make
money. He was so situated that he
had every opportunity to make it and
his would have been a densely stupid
mental orgaims indeed had he not fol-
lowed up his advantage as far as it led
| nim.
1t is claimed that two men largely
identified with the early interests of
the new west were the making of Ben
Holiday; that they simply put the
plastic clay into his hands, that he had
intelligence enough to mould it and
fashion from it a thing that brought
him monumental wealth in days to
come. That he failed to keep these
enormous sums of money, and that he
became IN time almost utterly bank
rupt only serves to demonstrate the
fact that the spirit of the age had taken
possession of him.
He Was a genius and benefactor.
tnasmuch as he was progressive. 1t
can not be said of him that his vast
sums Of money were allowed to lie and
rust unused. The millions that he
once owned We're kept in active cir
culation, and for that reason the world
is better that Ben Holladay was once a
rich man.
! There are those, perhaps, who will
bear some yet tenderer memories of
this erstWhile hero of the famous Over
land stage line. Little is now known
in Denver of Ben Holladay's family
relations, which may have been some
what broken up when, some years ago,
Mrs. Holiday went to Europe to re-
side with her two daughters, whom she
married to German counts after the
most approved fashion, which even the
wives Of the bonanza kings of the pres
ent day cannot excel. Mrs Holiday
is said to have qneened it for time in
Europe, just as Mrs. Mackay does to-
day, but her jud dgment in the matter of
the choice of titled husbands for her
daughters proved but ill-advised, as
both Ben Holladay's S daughters died of
broken hearts, their royal husbands
proving little more than fortune seek
ers. At one time Holladay brought his
aristocratic sons-in- law to America and
gave them employment, but this
proved rather an unsatisfactory pro-
ceeding. and it is thought that the old
man was glad enough to pay their pas
sage back to Germany in order to get
rid Of them. e
Years ago Ben Holladay kept little
grocery store in western Missouri. In
fact, it is claimed by some that It was
not groceries which he sold, but bad
Missouri whisky. However this may
have been, Holladay was a good d-natur-
I ed, ordinary kind of country merchant
whom everybody liked and who was
not a bad fellow by any means. In the
year 1853 circumstances and the voice
OF friend called him further west, and
he soon became concerned in the govern
ment purchases of flour, which was to
supply Johnson's s army at Fort Bridges
in the days of the Mormon war. Here.
he made large sums of money by buy
ing flour for a very little money and sell
ing it for a great deal. 1t was here he
got his start in life. as it is so called.
In the year 1860, when Holladay's
friend, Maj Russell Wadden, became
seriously involved, he sold the Over
land express between the Missouri
river and Salt Lake. of which he was
the sOririnat0r fo Ron Ho1lodou MI, =